Earlier this month Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China "COMAC" rolled out it's first mid size airliner. COMAC was founded in 2008 and is owned by the Chinese government. The C919 is the second jet aircraft made by COMAC, the first was a regional jet called the ARJ21. The C919 isn't certified by the Federal Aviation Administration "FAA", even the previous airliner produced by COMAC the ARJ21 still did not receive an FAA certificate (Govindasamay 2015). However I do believe that the C919 will eventually get certified by the FAA even though it might take years of testing before that happens.
Even if COMAC managed to get it's C919 certified by the FAA there is no way for it to compete with Airbus and Boeing in the international market. At least not in the foreseeable future, however china's goal is to provide It's own airlines with the new jets in order to support a strong aviation sector. I believe that the C919 will eventual dominate China's market, but I don't see it as a competitor for Boeing's 737 or Airbus's A320. Boeing has been dominating the aviation industry for decades, and in the last 40 years it has produced some of the most iconic airliners in the world such as the 747, 737 and 777. Airbus also has a long history in aviation, founded in 1967 and produced its first airliner in 1972. Airbus is enjoying an increase in demand and popularity thanks to the A330 and A380. While Boeing and Airbus continue to flourish in an expanding industry, companies like COMAC will not find the same success due to the lack of trust and their lack of experience. COMAC has to earn the Airline's trust and support, and most important convince the flying public that it's airplane is safe to fly.
If the C919 received an FAA certificate there would be no change in terms of companies entering the market to compete with Boeing and Airbus. Manufacturing an airplane takes years of research, thousands of employees and large sums of resources. In short, manufacturing an airliner in no easy task, especially if it's designed to compete with Boeing and Airbus products. A huge factor that is often over looked is the reputation of the company and the years of experience it has in terms of aircraft design and development. Being founded in 2008 is not something you want to sell to the public, I would probably wait a few more years before launching another airliner.
Boeing and Airbus hasn't said anything directly about COMAC's C919 but both companies have been producing lighter and more efficient jet aircraft. It could be in response to the C919 claim of reducing fuel consumption by 20%, or just the fact that some airlines are fighting to stay afloat and need a reliable yet efficient aircraft while other just want to reduce their cost of operation and maximize their profit.
Govindasamay, S. (2015, October 21). Exclusive: China-made regional jet
set for delivery, but no U.S. certification. Retrieved November 8, 2015,
from
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/21/us-china-aircraft-arj21-exclusive-idUSKCN0SF2XN20151021#S60zhCe5ru23jFg7.97
Jiang, S. (2015, November 2). China takes on Boeing, Airbus with new
passenger jet - CNN.com. Retrieved November 8, 2015, from
http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/02/asia/china-new-c919-passenger-jet/
COMAC. (2015). Company Profile_Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. Retrieved November 8, 2015, from http://english.comac.cc/aboutus/introduction/
COMAC. (2015). Company Profile_Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. Retrieved November 8, 2015, from http://english.comac.cc/aboutus/introduction/
I agree with you that the C919 has potential, but it won’t become a statistic to worry about in the US market. Boeing and Airbus are too big to worry about another small aircraft manufacturer, especially one out of China. There are too many obstacles for COMAC to cross for them to be even thinking about competing with Boeing and Airbus.
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